What are you listening to now?

[TheGSMoeller]

The Largo from this 1979 recording of Lenny and the NYP performing DSCH's 5th. It's always been my tops for this piece, specifically for this heart-wrenching movement, no other recording of this fine symphony has come close to Lenny's Largo for me...

[aligreto]

Monteverdi: L'Orfeo, Atto Terzo, Atto Quarto e Atto Quinto [Jacobs]





This is a wonderfully refined and polished performance from all concerned. I like the tragic tone which is neither overstated nor melodramatic. The sound is also excellent.

[aligreto]

Mozart: String Quintet in C minor K. 406 [Griller Quartet/Primrose]





The playing is wonderfully buoyant, assertive even, and is full of expression.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

#morninglistening to @PhilharmoniaBar in the #WorldPremiereRecording of a #Rameau #Operaballet

http://a-fwd.to/2nl1Yjc

Very spirited, very live recording from @UCBerkeley

#LaTempleDeLaGloire 1745 version. Libretto: #Voltaire

[kyjo]

Bridge, Piano Sonata

[asin]B000FVGLIY[/asin]
Regularly reported as a key work and the start of Bridge's late style. So I've been looking forward to this one as I've gone through the chronology.

This is certainly large-scale, ambitious stuff. There are traces of Romanticism, but no light, pretty melodies for the salon to enjoy.

A powerful, haunting work.

[Traverso]

Messiaen

Les Corps Glorieux

[Maestro267]

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 7 ("Sinfonia antartica") (Composer died otd 60 years ago)
Royal Liverpool PO/Handley

Bax: Symphony No. 1
London PO/Fredman

[aligreto]

Schumann: Piano Trio No. 3 [Beaux Arts Trio]

[Maestro267]

Mahler: Symphony No. 4
Roocroft (soprano)/City of Birmingham SO/Rattle

It's extremely rare I get the desire to listen to this symphony. Fascinating that it has an anticipation of the opening trumpet call of No. 5 in the middle of the first movement.

[André]

The Largo from this 1979 recording of Lenny and the NYP performing DSCH's 5th. It's always been my tops for this piece, specifically for this heart-wrenching movement, no other recording of this fine symphony has come close to Lenny's Largo for me...

+1. One of the rare instances where a Lenny remake truly upstages its predecessor. A fabulous performance.

[André]

Phrasing, rhythm, vigour, and sound of French mid-century orchestras.

+ 1.

I've never got around to understand why Schuricht was entrusted with Pathé's Paris Beethoven set. There must be an interesting story behind it.

[Mirror Image]

Debussy's SQ and Danses sacrée et profane (arr. for chromatic harp and string quintet):

[André]

First-listen Friday
R. Murray Schafer
Quartet for Strings, Soprano & Taped Children's Voices #9 (2005)
Odile Portugais
Quatuor Molinari
[asin]B00BI9VBZU[/asin]

Quite a haunting work, with taped sounds of children laughing and playing playing occasionally in the background, and a wordless soprano part in the end. The tonal language has a lot in common with Bartók, b]Shostakovich[/b], and Weinberg, but the piece could certainly not be confused with those three, even without the soprano or tape.

Seems like Schafer is drawing attention lately. That's great. The quartets are all wonderful.

...........................

TD

Another listen to this compilation of excellent mexican music:

[listener]

BUSONI:  Early Character Pieces for Clarinet and Piano  ( a 6-movement suite, 5 single pieces and Elegy in E^b
Wolfgang Meyer, clarinet       Matthias Kirschnerheit,  piano
TANSMAN:  Sonate transatlantique for piano,  Suite for bassoon and piano, 3 Preludes in the form of blues for piano, Suite for oboe, bassoon and clarinet
Iva Vaglenova, piano   Jean-Michel Alhaits, bassoon    Antoine Beaudoin, oboe    Jean-Marc Bernaud, clarinet

[SymphonicAddict]

Piano trio

[aligreto]

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 3 [Jansons]





This is a strong, buoyant performance. There is some wistful and charming scoring for the woodwinds in the first and second movements, an emotionally laden Andante which is magnificently played, a wonderfully beguiling and somewhat enigmatic Scherzo and a final movement which gradually builds up to wonderful, exciting conclusion. Great orchestral playing.

[Mirror Image]

Now playing:

Schoenberg's Five Pieces for Orchestra -

[André]

Symphony no 4.

Needless to say the Philadelphia Orchestra play like heroes. I haven't heard the string fugato in I sound so ferocious, so demented. Hair raising stuff. In a sense the work never recovers from that first movement. As in the 8th, there is a slight let down in inventivity and intensity in the last movement. Still, one of the 20th century's most daring works.

[JBS]

Now playing:

Schoenberg's Five Pieces for Orchestra -

Er ist zuruck!

TD

(As part of the full 6 CD set)

[aligreto]

Hindemith: Horn Concerto [Brain/Hindemith]





I find this to be a somewhat enigmatic work. It is one of those conversational type concertos. I enjoy listening to the conversation without really fully understanding or totally grasping it however; the musical language is just that tiny bit elusive for me. It is an interesting and engaging work which is given a robust and spirited performance by all concerned.